Well, since the last bloody time I talked to you we were BOTH in Seattle, I'm having to rely on my own extensive knowledge of the backstreets and byways of the Vast American Midlands... ;-)

Your trip sounds a lot like the one I made when I moved from Boston to Chicago... and went to pick up my car from my folks in Seattle. Took me three weeks to get back to Chi-town... via most of the Southwest. It was a hella fun trip.